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Is nice Marin County an outlier or American ordinary? (In the nicest possible way.)
For reasons I'll explain shortly, I was kvelling to a friend about how wonderful Marin County is. I then wrapped up by saying the Marin is an outlier, unlike the rest of America. The moment the words were out of my mouth, it occurred to me that I'm probably wrong. While Marin is an outlier economically, being one of the richest counties in America, the values I'm about to describe are American and it's the large urban areas, the ones that fill the headlines, that are American outliers.
To begin at the beginning….
My son had a school project that required him to ask people to fill out a little survey. Having exhausted the neighborhood without receiving a sufficient number of responses (most people are out of town for ski week, which is a wealthy community's luxury vacation), he got permission at the local mall to set up a table.
I can only say that people were lovely. Those that couldn't, or didn't want to, participate, were polite. And those who did participate were delightful. One parent, having taken the survey, returned home and immediately came back with seven children (her own and friends' children) to help out. I knew several of the people who came by, as well as some of the children whom I'd watched grow up over the years. My overall sense was of a happy, healthy, highly functional little community.
Based upon my perception that I live in a very good community, I later remarked to my friend that we are lucky to live in Marin. I added that it would have been impossible to complete this project in "other communities." My examples of "other communities" were Oakland and San Francisco — both highly urbanized areas. My friend, however, who lives in one of Oregon's bigger cities, remarked that, as long as you didn't wander into one of the yuckier neighborhoods in her city, you could have done the same project in there too.
It was her remark that got me thinking about a little-mentioned American ethos — friendliness. Or perhaps you could call it generosity of spirit.
As you all have gathered, I've traveled fairly extensively throughout Western Europe, parts of Central Europe, the Mediterranean, and some parts of Latin America. I've sampled the Far East (my Japan trip) and spent meaningful amounts of time in Israel. In every place in which I've traveled, I've had the pleasure of meeting nice people. (Okay, not in Tunisia, but that was a few months into the Arab Spring, and the Tunisians were clearly a people on edge.)
Despite invariably having met pleasant individuals, I've never been a county, other than my own, that offers friendliness as a national hallmark. In my travels abroad, I'm pleasantly surprised when I meet nice, friendly people. At home, I'm equally surprised when I'm met with unfriendliness.
Part of this, of course, is the urban versus suburban or rural divide. As a tourist, one tends to go to the capital cities (London, Rome, New York, Prague, etc.) and the nature of cities is that they are less friendly than smaller communities. That is, unless you go to cities such as Dallas, Houston, or other Southern cities that still take pride in their manners.
Even cities that suck up a lot of headline space with violence horror stories tend to confine that icky behavior to specific neighborhoods. I know that Chicago is right up there amongst America's murder capitals, but when I was in downtown Chicago on a business trip a few years ago, people couldn't have been nicer. The same holds true for other major American cities, provided that one is able to overlook regional eccentricities. For example, people in Boston were rigid, but friendly; people in New York, rude but friendly; and people in L.A. peculiar, but friendly.
We Americans are fully aware of how nice we are. Or, rather, we're aware that, barring certain urban environments (which are usually subsets of a larger, nicer urban area), we are nice, helpful, friendly people. That's why mass murders in suburbs upset us so much. It's not, as the race-mongers would have us believe, that we only care when white kids die. It's that we're terribly aware that urban toxins are polluting our communities. These toxins may not be factory smoke or ground-water pollution, but they are every bit as vile and dangerous.
So is Marin County an outlier because it's nice? No. It's an outlier because it's affluent, but it's niceness is quintessentially American. That's something worth remembering when we see headlines about shootings in Vegas or Chicago or Detroit. Although those cities are strongly identified with America, they are behavioral outliers. We're nice more often than not. (And no, I haven't found a study to prove this. I'm just basing it on having traveled extensively at home and abroad.)
Oh, one more thing. You know those recently listed, incredibly miserable American cities? Here's a little chart identify something they all have in common:
You don't need to be a statistical genius to realize that there's a strong correlation between Democrat politics (and many of these cities have been Democrat strongholds for decades) and unhappiness. I'm not going to make the effort now, but I'm willing to bet that one could find an equally strong correlation between crime-ridden, or unfriendly, cities and Democrat politics.
Honestly, you'd think that Republicans would figure out a campaign along the lines of "You've been miserable Democrats for decades. Try being a happy Republican."

subset: commoncrawl


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Updated at 6:05 p.m. ET -- Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder called himself "one tough nerd" in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign, fashioning himself as a pragmatic problem-solver who wouldn't delve into the divisive partisanship that had come to define some of his fellow Republicans.
Related: Michigan House passes right-to-work legislation
But now that Snyder has signed historic legislation making Michigan the nation's 24th right-to-work state, detractors will likely lump the governor with those firebrand Republicans, a distinction that he had long sought to avoid.
Gov. Rick Snyder, R-Mich., tells NBC's Andrea Mitchell that the right-to-work legislation will bring more work to his state and may be a "positive" to unions over time.
"I didn't do this to get into the politics of it," Snyder said on MSNBC Tuesday afternoon of the fight. He said the issue reached a "critical mass" after organized labor unsuccessfully pushed a ballot initiative this November that would have established a right to collective bargaining in the Michigan constitution.
Snyder had previously said that pursuing this legislation was not on his agenda. But Republicans in the statehouse, whose majorities in the House and Senate will be narrower next year due to the 2012 elections, revived the long-dormant proposal with Snyder's eventual blessing.
"Once we had the support that we had, the next step was convincing the governor that this was a good thing," said state Republican Rep. Marty Knollenberg, a primary sponsor of the bill in the House. "It certainly started from the legislature, and then it was presented to the governor … I think he was sort of taking a wait-and-see attitude. It wasn't on his priority list, as he indicated."
But Snyder did ultimately embrace the law, and signed it into law on Tuesday evening. Whether he would be able to preserve his reputation as a non-ideologue is an open question.
The Washington Post's Ruth Marcus talks about the protests in Lansing, Michigan over the right-to-work legislation.
"I think he kind of decided he couldn't string this out any longer. The idea that he had some sort of moment where he was converted in a blinding flash of light – I don't think that's the case," said Bill Ballenger, editor of the "Inside Michigan Politics" newsletter. "Here you've got Michigan looking, all of a sudden, far more extreme and aggressive that Scott Walker. Isn't that ironic?"
Snyder enjoyed a 51 percent approval rating for Snyder in an early December EPIC-MRA poll; 48 percent of Michiganders said they had a negative impression of Snyder's performance as governor. The same poll found that Snyder had an edge over a generic Democratic challenger in 2014.
Recommended: Boehner demands Obama 'get serious' and offer new plan
But the state was much more divided on the question of whether the legislature should pursue right-to-work laws. While the EPIC-MRA poll found that Michiganders were generally supportive of the concept of those laws, they were evenly divided – 47 percent in favor, 46 percent against – on the question of whether Michigan should adopt such a law.
Dale G. Young / AP
Governor Rick Snyder presents his views on Michigan's future energy plans and how they merge with environmental and resource management issues at MSU's WK Kellogg Biological Station, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012 near Hickory Corners, Mich.
Indeed, Snyder's decision to move forward with this proposal will inevitably invite parallels with GOP Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's work to push legislation that stripped public employees of their collective bargaining rights in early 2011. Like Michigan, Wisconsin is an industrial Midwestern state with a long tradition of unionism. And as with Wisconsin, Democrats and labor activists stormed the state capitol with unmet hopes of halting the changes to labor law.
"I think it's important to make a distinction with Wisconsin and Ohio," Snyder said on MSNBC. "That was about collective bargaining. That was about the relationship between employers and unions. This has nothing to do with that. Right-to-work has to do with the relationship between unions and workers."
The bigger distinction might be the extent to which Michigan's fight was relatively bloodless. The fight in Wisconsin dragged out for days as Democrats in the state Senate went into hiding in Illinois to try to prevent a vote. And labor fought for months to recall Walker, an election which the Wisconsin governor survived this past June.
The right-to-work law moved much more quickly through Michigan's state government, giving opponents of the law barely any time to stop the bill. Even President Barack Obama's criticism of the law during a stop Monday in Detroit did little to halt the legislation's progress.
That sort of criticism could threaten to erode the reputation Snyder had built for himself during two years in office. Snyder, a former CEO of Gateway Computers, emerged from relative obscurity in 2010 to beat two well-known Republican challengers, Rep. Pete Hoekstra and Attorney General Mike Cox, in the primary on the strengths of his plain-spoken, jobs-oriented message.
Bob King, president of the United Auto Workers and Rev. Jesse Jackson share their reactions to the right-to-work legislation and the protests occurring because of it.
Snyder tried to burnish his bipartisan bona fides upon taking office by appointing former State House Speaker Andy Dillon, a Democrat who'd unsuccessfully sought his party's gubernatorial nomination in 2010, as his state treasurer. He had sought to build a new bridge between Detroit and Canada over the opposition of some Republicans, and resisted a GOP initiative to ban domestic partnership benefits for gay and lesbian couples before relenting.
Democrats and their allies in organized labor are sure now to redouble their efforts to beat Snyder in 2014, despite a relatively thin bench of challengers. More voters (40 percent) said they would be less likely to give Snyder a second term if he pursued right-to-work than those who said they would be more likely to re-elect the Republican.


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"Members of the community … will be marching [on Friday] to the construction site where Anene Booysen (17) was brutally gang raped and murdered in the early hours of Saturday morning," Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson Liza Albrecht said.
She said the DA would support local residents and use its constitutional powers to make sure police and the courts achieved a speedy and appropriate prosecution of the perpetrators.
A wreath would be laid at the scene of the crime. Congress of South African Trade Unions provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich said a rally against rape would take place in Bredasdorp after Booysen's memorial service on Sunday.
"Cosatu believes that this event is bigger than party politics and all organisations and individuals are welcome to attend."
He said the rally would begin at the Nelson Mandela Hall and end at the Bredasdorp police station, where a memorandum would be handed over.
'Grief and pain'
"We need to pour out our grief and pain at this event in a matter that ensures that there is no repeat of this abuse of women," Ehrenreich said.
Also on Friday, United Democratic Front Woman's Organisation secretary general Thandi Nontenja condemned the attack.
The violent nature of Booysen's ordeal had brought sexual violence to the public's attention. "But there are thousands of victims who we never hear about and, far too often, slip between the cracks of the justice system," she said in a statement.
"One would think that with a female police commissioner sexual offences would be higher on the South African Police Service's list of priorities," Nontenja said. Three men have been arrested in connection with Booysen's attack and murder. – Sapa


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Horchem to the rescue as Railers prevail in OT
By Jeff Benjamin
Send a link to a friend
[February 18, 2013]
If we ever find out that Moline
coach Jeff Schimmel has recurring nightmares about Tyler Horchem, I
think we'll have a good body of evidence as to why.
This one will go in the win column, certainly
not in the well-played one.
"We were lucky," coach Neil Alexander said after game. "We did
just enough to win, but we were lucky. It should have never come to
that, up 10 or so. They are a good team, but if we play like that
again, it will be a short postseason for us."
There is always cause for concern on Senior Night as the players
tend to be a little more hyped than normal. Saturday, the Railers
did a good job of staying composed and playing under control.
Getting the scoring started -- where have I heard this before? --
was junior Edward Bowlby. His two 3s put Lincoln up early at 6-3. In
almost a carbon copy of Friday night's win over SHG, an early score
came from the lone senior, Will Podbelsek, whose pull-up pushed the
Lincoln lead to 8-5. Where the similarity from last night comes in
is that a similar shot was Lincoln's only two-pointer of the first
half against the Cyclones and now against the Maroons. The next
field goal for Lincoln (25-4) inside the 3-point line would not come
until less than two minutes was left in the third quarter.
After the game was tied at 8, Podbelsek and Max Cook hit 3s to
push the lead to six. Moline early on was proving it would not go
away, with physical play down low in the paint as they scored the
last five of the quarter to pull within one at 14-13 heading into
the second quarter.
Things got a little more interesting to start the second stanza
as Podbelsek was fouled driving to the basket. Moline's Bryan
Brinker was a little too proud of his accomplishments in blocking
the shot and fouling the senior, so much so that his taunting was
done in front of an official, who immediately hit him with a
technical foul. Lincoln struggled early from the line as "Pod" split
the free throws from the foul line while Gavin Block hit the first
of the technical foul shots only to see his consecutive streak end
at 19 when he missed the second. After Moline brought the game back
to within one, it was Bowlby for the third time from 3-point range
to put the score at 19-15.
When Moline's Ted Wood hit his second 3 of the night to make the
score 19-18, the Railers went on their only real run of the night, a
9-0 run to drive out to a double-digit lead at 28-18. The run was
fueled by 3s from Cook and Podbelsek, while Cook and Bowlby combined
for three free throws. The Maroons (17-12) rounded out the
first-half scoring as Lincoln went in enjoying an eight-point lead
at 28-20.
Everything was looking pretty good at Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium
as the third quarter started as Podbelsek hit a 3 from near the
front line on the volleyball court, giving the Railers their largest
lead of the night at 31-20. Moline, a team from the Western Big 6,
showed again that it would not go away. In fact, they decided Senior
Night needed a bit more drama.
The Railers' defensive effort was not at its usual high level.
During an 11-0 run to tie the game at 31, Moline's Brian Vice
converted two conventional three-point plays, while Wood tied the
game at the 2:38 mark of the third by hitting three free throws. His
trip to the line was second time a Moline player had been fouled
shooting a 3. Lincoln was suffering through a stagnant offense and,
at times, a tired-looking defense.
Alexander shared the same thoughts. "I thought we looked tired
out there," he said. "We've tried to cut back on some of our
conditioning, but we definitely did not play a full game out there."
The pressure the Railer defense was able to apply got them the
lead back with baskets from Block and Podbelsek. After Cook hit both
free throws late in the quarter, it was another foul on a 3 attempt,
this one at the buzzer, and Moline's Derrick Stabler hit two of the
three to leave the Railers with only a two-point lead going into the
fourth at 37-35.
With all the momentum turning toward the Maroons, it seemed the
switch was complete when Tyler Biscontine drained a 3 with 6:34 to
go to put Moline on the top for the first time at 38-37. A free
throw from Podbelsek tied the game at 38, only to see Moline go
inside again to stretch their lead to 42-38.
[to top of second column]
Of Lincoln's 14 field goals on the night, 11 came from behind the
arc and, other than the game-winner from Horchem, there were none
bigger than Bowlby's that cut the lead to one and Block's that tied
the game at 44 after Moline had scored again. Moline went back on
top 46-44, but a drive to the basket by Block resulted in two more
free throws, and after he made them both to tie the game at 46 at
the 1:04 point of the fourth, things were setting up for a
nail-biting finish.
I'm not a coach and have never professed to be, but the use of
timeouts by the Moline coach was quite baffling. Using three
timeouts in the span of 30 seconds, the Maroons had the ball to end
regulation, but with all the timeouts that were called, their
last-second shot to win it fell way short. I would like to think
after that many timeouts there would be a better look than what they
Heading into overtime for the fifth time in the season, going 2-2
in the first four, the Railers were able to win the tip, but a
missed shot resulted in a quick free-throw attempt for Moline as
Stabler was fouled on a rebound. The Maroon senior helped out the
Railers by missing the front end of the one-and-one as well as
Bowlby being fouled on the rebound and getting his own chance to
strike first in the extra session. But Bowlby, a 77 percent
free-throw shooter entering the night, missed as well, and about 30
seconds into overtime, both teams were struggling to put points on
the board.
As Lincoln tried to run out the clock with under 50 seconds to
go, Bowlby's pass on the sidelines was stolen by Stabler, setting up
Moline's final look at the basket. All Moline was waiting for was a
chance to win it at the buzzer, and Lincoln's defense needed a stop.
With Owens and Biscontine playing catch near the timeline, it was
the quick hands of Cook that got the steal. The junior took the ball
down the sideline, under the basket and pitched it out to a
wide-open Horchem, who drained the 3 as the crowd went wild.
With 3.9 seconds to go, Moline took their final timeout after
getting the ball to half-court and only .9 seconds running off the
clock. Their inbounds pass was to Owens, who let one go from about
40 feet, and whatever you want to call it -- luck, kharma, the
ghosts of Roy S. Anderson Gymnasium -- the ball did everything but
go in as the Railers prevailed on Senior Night 49-46.
There is something so fitting about Podbelsek leading the way on
Senior Night with 15 points. By the way, the two uniform numbers
that Podbelsek has worn in his Railer career are 14 and 1, which
adds up to 15, his points in his final appearance in front of the
home crowd. Man, I have got to get a hobby if I'm starting to think
of stuff like that.
Bowlby's 14 points were next on the scoring column, with Cook
adding nine and Block scoring eight. Oh yeah, last but certainly not
least, Horchem had a 3-pointer -- you know, the game-winner.
So, it has come down to this. One final regular-season game and
then it's win or go home. Friday night will be as tough a game as
the Railers have played all season as they travel to Lanphier with
an opportunity to clinch at least a share of the CS8 title on the
line. It would be a huge boost of support to turn Lober-Nika
Gymnasium into Railer Nation Annex South.
And don't think Tyler Horchem was the only villain in the eyes of
the Moline fans. Payton Ebelherr's 3-pointer in the final seconds
capped off a mad comeback as the sophomores prevailed in the night's
opening contest 45-42.
Podbelsek 5 2-4 15, Bowlby 4 2-3 14, Cook 2 3-4 9, Block 2 3-4 8,
Horchem 1 0-0 3, Olden 0 0-0 0, Krusz 0 0-0 0. Team 14 10-15 49.
3-point field goals 11 (Bowlby 4, Podbelsek 3, Cook 2, Horchem,
Vice 17, Wood 11, Biscontine 8, Stabler 6, Owens 2, Larson 2.
Team 16 10-15 46. 3-point field goals 4 (Biscontine 2, Wood 2).
Scoring by quarters:
[By JEFF BENJAMIN]
Railer-related information:
Jeff Benjamin's Railer basketball articles
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Before editing, be sure to read the wiki's policies. Please sign your name on Talk and vote pages using four tildes (~~~~) to automatically produce your name and the current date. Be sure to verify your e-mail address in your preferences. Before attempting any major article rewrites please read the layout guide. If you have any questions, check out the policy and help pages (see here for editing help), add a question to the Community portal, view the forum or ask me on my talk page. Again, welcome!
-- Nick O'Demus (Talk) 16:49, August 4, 2011
House points shatter
The page was redirected because a.) its an inconsequential event that should be documented on the House points hourglass page, and b.) there is no evidence that the hourglasses shatter when a prominent wizard of the house dies. Both instances of shattering in the books were caused during battles. - Cavalier One(Wizarding Wireless Network) 00:32, August 7, 2011 (UTC)
Hiya, you're online now, so I thought I'd ask you (as long as its not too much trouble).
Basically, there are these three pages on the wiki known as Inanimate to animate Transfiguration, Animate to inanimate Transfiguration and Inanimate to inanimate Transfiguration. They're supposed to be different categories that transfifuration spells fit into but they a.) are not attested to anywhere in canon (and hence are fanon) and b.) don't even fit with canon (for example, some spells like Lapifors can't be classified into any of those categories neatly. Having rewitten the transfigurations series of articles to better accord with canon (using actual canon terms to classify things with, for example) I am hence now campaigning for their deletion from the wiki.
I'm just bringing this to your attention in case you wanted to vote for their deletion, so I can hopefully speed this process up. You'll find them on the Category:Candidates for deletion talk page incase you do want to vote for them. Many thanks for your time and consideration, Green Zubat 22:13, August 11, 2011 (UTC).
- Thanks a lot, very much appreciated :) Green Zubat 22:31, August 11, 2011 (UTC).
Poor Sevvy
Oh, well that's convenient, I was just going to owl someone about that problem. Thanks again! You'd best be careful though; don't want to anger the Snapewives - Green Zubat 22:53, August 11, 2011 (UTC).
Severus Snape page
I think Severussnape0109 is less of a vandal and more of an idiot who skipped through the last book.
|_|HoboHunter28|_| 23:07, August 11, 2011 (UTC)
Excuse you, I am not an idiot. But you clearly seem to be since you are judging me without even knowing me. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Severussnape0109 (talk • contribs).
Thanks for the warning. I'll be sure to give references in the future.
The Inflatable Tongue is mentioned in passing among many Zonko's products in the books, so therefore is considered part of the Harry Potter universe. Please remove that. Professor-Hagrid 01:58, August 13, 2011 (UTC)
Before two articles can be merged, there must be a community decision on which page should stay or whether to continue with the merge or not. That decision was never reached in respect to the Hagrid articles, and they shouldn't be merged until it has.--Matoro183 (Talk) 13:51, August 13, 2011 (UTC)
- Generally a community decision is needed in situations where several users disagree about changes to an article. This typically happens when moving a page to a new title or changing the infobox image.--Matoro183 (Talk) 14:03, August 13, 2011 (UTC)
RE:Chat Mod
I'm not very active in the chat, I'm afraid, but since Speedysnitch vouched for you, I've changed your user rights. Happy chatmod-ing! -- Seth Cooper owl post! 18:39, January 30, 2012 (UTC)
RE:Problem with User
Hello, there. As I've said to you once before, I do not usually use the chat function. Given this, I don't really have grounds to take further administrative action, as it is, basically, your word against the user's. His messages could be a way of requesting a lift of his/her wrongful block (not that I am implying that you are lying to me; I am trying to be the most objective as I can), although spamming is grounds for a cooldown block. Try to talk to the user: if he doesn't provide any relevant, serious argument against the block, then warn him/her that his repeated messages are being potentially badgering and that continuing in doing so may lead to a temporary block. -- Seth Cooper owl post! 16:57, February 25, 2012 (UTC)
Speedy's nomination
Speedysnitch has accepted your admin nomination, so the vote can proceed. Don't forget that even though you put forth the nomination, you still need to do an actual vote for it to be counted. - Nick O'Demus 22:00, April 24, 2012 (UTC)


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Here are the big-picture issues that affect the worth of your farm
Soil type, drainage and location all play into the dollar value of your farmland. But as the agricultural industry becomes more global, so do the factors impacting your farm.
"In agricultural economics, a lot of issues are linked together," says David Kohl, professor emeritus of agricultural economics at Virginia Tech. "Sometimes you have to take step back, think strategically and connect the dots."
"People have an intuitive sense of what their land is worth," says Tim Hopper, chief economist at TIAA-CREF, a financial services and investing organization. Yet to stay ahead of the curve, he says, farmers should think beyond their farm gates. Here is some food for thought on the macro issues that affect your farm's value.
1. Global population growth
The world's population is forecast to reach 9 billion by 2050. While that is a significant increase from the current 7 billion people, Hopper says the key issue is population distribution.
"The areas of the world that have growing populations and caloric needs also have increasing incomes," he says. But in many of those places, agriculture cannot expand to meet this growing demand. Therefore, productive land in other areas of the world increases in value.
2. Water
Like population, water is not dispersed evenly around the world. Hopper says trade allows us to move products from where we have water to where we need water. "Trade in crops is basically trade in water," he says.
While water issues are more pronounced in other areas of the world, recent prolonged U.S. drought conditions have made water supply a national hot topic. Kohl says water availability, either through irrigation or drainage, will factor into farmland value. "Top-quality farm ground, with water under it or near it, is a premium," he says.
3. Wall Street
High farmland returns have attracted the interest of investors, landowners, lenders and operators, adding more competitors at farmland auctions. After 2008, several funds realized a lot of their diversified portfolios weren't as stable as originally thought, says Bruce Sherrick, University of Illinois professor of agricultural and applied finance.
While Wall Street types like several aspects of the farmland and ag markets, it's not an easy industry for outsiders. "There's not a ticker symbol for farmland," he says. "A parcel of land requires some specific knowledge to operate." He says farmland investments have historically added return and have reduced risk, though the risk impacts are often more important".
4. Interest rates
For the past few years, many farmers have been able to purchase land with loans at extremely low interest rates. Long-term, Hopper says interest rates average around 4.5%. Today, he says, interest rates average around 2.5%, and recently they were closer to 1%.
Any major change in monetary policy could alter farmers' and investors' attitudes about future land purchases. When considering changes in policy, Kohl likes to factor in the 320/260/60 rule. "Around 320 million people live in America, with 260 million of those living in urban areas," he says. "Only 60 million are left in rural America. A lot of our economic policy will be based toward the 260, instead of the 60."
5. Shale energy
Like water, the potential of what's under your land might become more important than the soil on top. Vast shale plays in many areas of the country are now accessible through horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing.
"The shale energy revolution is tremendous in the U.S.," Hopper says. "The U.S. is now the largest producer of oil and gas in the world. We are still importing, but our trade deficit is starting to shrink."
6. Foreign exchange rates
A strong U.S. dollar equals more value for U.S. products, but it also means U.S. products are more expensive to foreign buyers. Hopper says since capital is scattered in the world, currency exchange rates greatly impact land values.
A falling dollar equals high commodity prices, which raise farmer profits and increases rent and land values. On the flip side, he says, a rising-dollar environment lessens farmland values.
7. Regulation
Whether dealing with banking, ethanol mandates or animal welfare, regulations are an invisible threat for U.S. farms, Kohl says. As a dairy producer, he has seen how quickly a new rule or regulation can cause major problems – even with his own operation. He says producers must be proactive.
Hopper agrees and says staying up-to-date on U.S. regulations is vital, as they can easily create a domino effect. "There are many countries that take U.S. regulations, put their own stamp on it and enact it into law," he says.
8. Wine
Why would wine make this list? "I call it the $4.99 box of Gallo revolution," Hopper says. "Wine consumption in the U.S. is going up about 14% per year, and in the world it is going up about 4% a year."
Demand drives change and now the U.S. is the largest wine consumer in the world. "This is a tremendous shift that has led to a change in the dynamics of the price of land," Hopper says. By comparison, he says, an acre of corn valued at $12,000 in the Midwest translates into an acre of grapes valued at $100,000 in the heart of Napa.
Don't expect to see corn fields converted to grapes any time soon, but when you consider wine is now produced in all 50 states, there is potential. "Land value is determined by the value of what you can produce off that land," Hopper says.
9. The rise of China
China as a population center, buyer of U.S. goods and global player is top-of-mind for the ag industry. Hopper says one of China's biggest problems is lack of rainfall. China encompasses 20% of the earth's population and 7% of the earth's water resources.
"How do you feed 20% of the world's population on 7% of the world's rainfall?" Hopper asks. "You don't; you import." He says the country is becoming more urbanized, which equals more food demand and fewer resources to produce food. "Now China is trying to buy areas that can produce food," he says.
10. Global trade
As incomes around the world have increased, especially in China and other emerging nations, Hopper says trade with the U.S. has also increased. While more demand is positive for ag markets, Hopper says this shift has led to stresses on agriculture. "We've seen increased commodity price swings and more volatility," he says.
Looking for land to buy?
Search property listings nationwide, provided by Lands of America. Narrow your search by state, county, property type, price or acreage.
Have land to sell? List your land with Lands of America, the nation's largest rural real estate network, and get exposure on up to 575 websites.


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Charges: Couple took, intended to hurt Amish girls
ALBANY, N.Y. — A northern New York couple was arraigned late Friday on charges they intended to physically harm or sexually abuse two Amish sisters after abducting them from a roadside farm stand.
Stephen Howells II, 39, and Nicole Vaisey, 25, both of Hermon, were each charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping. They appeared in court with lawyers, but were not allowed to enter a plea. A town justice ordered them jailed without bond, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
The St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Office issued a statement late Friday saying the arrests of Howells and Vaisey "no doubt saved young children from future abuse."
Sheriff Kevin Wells said in a statement that the older of the two girls provided "crucial information" that led to the arrests.
District Attorney Mary Rain declined to discuss a motive for the abduction or provide any other specifics about the suspects. She said information provided by the girls helped lead to Howells and Vaisey. The suspects' home is about 13 miles from where the girls live.
"The suspects agreed to go to the sheriff's office to be interviewed earlier today and they were arrested after those interviews," Rain said.
More information was expected to be released at a news conference Saturday morning.
The Associated Press generally does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse.
The 7-year-old and 12-year-old vanished Wednesday evening in Oswegatchie, touching off a massive search in the farming community near the Canadian border.
They turned up safe about 24 hours later at the door of a house 15 miles from where they were taken. Hermon is about 13 miles from Oswegatchie.
Searchers had scoured the farming community of about 4,000 people, in a hunt hampered by a lack of photos of the girls for authorities to circulate.
The Amish typically avoid modern technology, and the family had to work with an artist who spoke their language, a German dialect known as Pennsylvania Dutch, to produce a sketch of the older girl.
The episode left a sense of vulnerability in a community where residents said even small children often walk unaccompanied to school.
"One thing that comes from this is that people learn this can happen in a small town," the prosecutor said. "I think the public will take precautions, and that's the sad thing."
Patricia Ritchie, the state senator representing the region, said many are now reluctant to let their children play outdoors unattended.
Ritchie said the Amish are responding in a way that may forever change a familiar feature of the local landscape: Some are taking down their roadside stands.
"This has sent a shockwave through their community," she said.
Associated Press writer Michael R. Sisak in New York City contributed to this report.


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It was a lot fun Jay! You were working me in a few of those races! I've got Paul and Jay's codes entered. If anyone else would like mines, it's 0516-8051-8504.
Fred and I have both of your codes put in guys. Fred is ready leave you all in the dust. Here are our codes if anyone would like to join us.2535-8033-38643008-2486-6674
Even if you had a BC Playstation, it would still be hit and miss.
Quote from: ruiner on March 10, 2009, 09:52 PMEven if you had a BC Playstation, it would still be hit and miss.What's BC stand for? Bill Cable?
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Brand new wind vest from Santini. This wind vest comes directly from the Australian National Team and is made for the 2014 season. The vest is windproof and very light, which makes it easy to carry in the back pocket. The vest is perfect to stop cold wind and protect the core. It is easy to take on/off when the weather is changing.
- Windproof
- Easy to take on/off
- Easy to carry
- Breathable
- Original Pro team cycling clothes
Why buy a wind vest?
The vest has a thin and breathable backside, making it useful on windy days when it can be difficult to judge how much clothe to wear. The front is made of windproof fabric. A wind vest is a must-have for spring/fall rides as it is easy to bring, easy to take on/off and protects the core against cold wind.
*Please be aware that access points and shop delivery have been suspended in some countries due to the Coronavirus. Please choose Home Delivery if possible in your country.
See UPS updates here: https://www.ups.com/dk/en/service-alerts.page?id=alert1
EMS update: Packages to Hong Kong can have delays.
We deliver our packages to customers worldwide.
Our packages are shipped with either UPS, FedEx, DHL, or EMS depending on your choice and the delivery country and are insured with a tracking number. Your tracking number can be found in the mail and text you receive after the purchase.
Our shipping prices are based on the package's total volume weight, and are set from our cost price including fuel fee.
Countries within EU will receive free shipping on orders above 150€.
*Only our cheapest shipping method will be for free.
For more information please read our page delivery.
You have the right to return your purchase within 14 days for a refund.
You will have your order refund back within 14 days after we receive your package.
We do not pay for return shipping fee.
For more information, please visit our page returns.
What is my size?
To find your size can be difficult – specially when there are many different brands which have different fittings, but don't worry we are here to help you.
The model on all product pictures is 182 cm high and weights 73 kg, and uses size Small in most of the products. You can fill the formular below, send it, and afterwards we will send you a mail on which size you need. It is also necessary to link the products (Or the SKU) that you are interested in, because most of the brands can be different in the size.
We will always advice our customers to ride in tight clothes. You can read more in the other tab "It has to sit tight".
It has to sit tight
If you ever are in doubt about how tight a cycling jersey or your bib-shorts are supposed to be on you – there are some things to be aware of. The tighter the better – a good example of why this is important could be the bib-shorts. If you go for a longer ride and your shorts is not tight, you might end up with with pain in your bum – You always want to make sure, that everything is "in place" and does not move while riding this is something you can insure by using bib-shorts sitting tight on you, you will properly get a more comfortable ride.
Another thing to be aware of is that when you use cycling clothes sitting tight on you will break the wind better, which will result in better aerodynamic.
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We have many years of experience within the cycling world.
You are always welcome to contact us if you have any questions. We answer emails within 24 hours.


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Every year or two I read another Kathy Reichs crime novel. I'm reading them in order so that I can also keep tabs on Temperance Brennan's personal life. Recently I was excited to be in the audience at a BBC radio interview with the author, and got to ask her a question. She is a forensic anthropologist who divides her time between Canada and the US, sits on various boards, and is often a witness in court cases where an expert is needed to testify. Where does she find the time to write novels as well? I asked her if the topics from her series actually come from her own work, and they do. Not surprising, but still nice to know. I've actually never watched the popular TV series Bones, based on Reich's books, mostly because I don't want to alter the image of the novels in my own mind.
'Cross Bones' has an archaeological focus and takes place mostly in Jerusalem. Masada features briefly as well. Temperance and Ryan actually go on the trip together because there is police business to attend to as well. In addition to the taut drama around solving the case, it is obvious from sidebars in the story and in reading between the lines, that the author was affected by her trip to the Holy Land. It is hard not to be, when you see firsthand how conflict is splitting the region apart.
Reichs writes a story with a smart sassy narrative. And Temperance always finds herself in trouble somewhere along the line. But what I enjoy most about her novels is what I learn about the human anatomy from the authentic examination of the bones in her lab. She sort of honours these dead people with her curiosity about who they were and how they lived. As a result she almost brings them back to life.
When an author cranks out a novel a year, you know that it is going to be slightly formulaic and have some repetitive stylistic qualities. Some readers may become irritated by her 'end of chapter cliffhangers' and her tendency to sum everything up in lengthy explanations towards the end of the book. But I still find the series quite enjoyable.


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Reception's First Fortnight
Amber and Opal classes have seamlessly transitioned from Kindergarten to Reception. Children are settling into their new classes and routines, meeting old friends and [...] Read more
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The August 2011 meeting of the New York City Revit Users Group featured a presentation by Greg Schleusner of the firm-wide BIM leadership team at HOK. Greg demonstrates how the use of BIM-based program management tools such as dRofus can support and improve the project delivery process. The discussion focuses on the benefits of adequately documenting program requirements and then comparing those to an evolving design model.
NOTE: The featured presentation starts at about 12:00 into the recording.
Complete meeting recording from NYC RUG


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Hot on the heels of the Gingerbread update for the Optimus One, Sprint and LG have started rolling out the Gingerbread update for their version of the Optimus One, the Optimus S. The Optimus S is a mid-range Android smartphone with a 3.2-inch screen, and a 600MHz processor along with 512MB of RAM.
The update is being rolled out via OTA (Over-The-Air) to existing Optimus S owners.
Below is the full change-log for the update :
- New on-screen keyboard. The standard keyboard has been greatly improved with faster input and more intuitive typing. The cut-and-paste feature has also been improved.
- Streamlined user interface. New color schemes and various UI changes make Android more consistent and simpler to use.
- Application and power management. Android 2.3 provides better insight into what is running in the background and the amount of memory and CPU time it is using. A task killer has been added.
- Download management. All downloads from the browser, email and other apps can now be viewed and controlled from a single location.
- General enhancements for performance improvements.
As you can see from the above change-log, the update brings the usual Gingerbread goodies and some updated core apps.


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As reported in the Gotham Gazette last month, NYPD Police Commissioner Howard Safir has said DNA testing, which uses samples of genetic material to identify potential suspects, could revolutionize law enforcement, if only legislators would catch up to the technology. He's just gotten his wish. On February 23rd, Governor Pataki proposed new laws that would broadly expand the use of DNA in solving crimes. These proposals, the most aggressive measures in the country, would eliminate the statute of limitations on sixteen felonies and allow police to collect DNA samples from anyone convicted of a crime.
As in most U.S. states, current New York law restricts the use of DNA testing. Only those convicted of the most serious felony cases (about 65% of all felonies) must provide samples, and, with the exception of murder, crimes can only be prosecuted up to five years after they're committed. But DNA samples can reliably identify or clear a suspect well after five years' time, and can link an inmate convicted of one crime to others.
DNA testing has been a hot media topic in recent weeks. In a long piece for City Journal, Commissioner Safir championed DNA testing as a crime-fighting tool. In the pages of Newsweek, the founders of the Innocence Project, a legal center that seeks to overturn mistaken death row sentences, argued that making testing more accessible could help free many inmates who have been wrongly imprisoned. And in an article the Governor said influenced his decision to submit his proposals, the New York Times reported on rape cases in which DNA had identified suspects who could no longer be prosecuted under the statute of limitations.
It's not yet clear how the State Legislature, controlled by Democrats who have rejected some of the Governor's previous criminal justice initiatives, will vote on the new proposals. But with DNA on a fast track from obscurity to the top of New York's criminal justice agenda, don't be surprised to see DNA crime labs getting a lot of funding and attention.
Jerome Sounds Off:
"Verdicts do not send messages," defense attorneys in the Diallo trial told jurors, but of course we know better. The acquittals jurors handed out in Albany last Friday may have been based on sound legal judgment, but they still send a terrible message, especially to those living in the City's minority neighborhoods: no one was at fault in this case. What other response can you expect from the thousands who marched in demonstrations this past weekend? You feel either sadness or terrible rage.
What we need, then, is someone to step forward and deliver another message. Where do we go from here? The Reverend Calvin Butts, no stranger to political opportunism, called on his congregation to work against Mayor Giuliani's probable Senate run. Al Sharpton, who so effectively galvanized protestors last year, suggested a vague, untargeted boycott. Both men fanned their audiences' anger and resentment.
They've got that part right. But now's the time to turn heated emotions into something lasting, a way to change police practices in the City. We can expect the Mayor and Police Commissioner will do nothing until something forces their hand, as protesters did last year. There's no end of specific proposals that public pressure could highlight. Provide more funding for the CCRB and demand a commitment from the Commissioner to disclose how he's punishing officers guilty of abusing their power. Take former Commissioner William Bratton's suggestion to reduce the size of the force by 5,000 officers, allowing more training for those remaining. Curb the Street Crime Unit (a long overdue change that Comissioner Safir began last October when he shut down the infamous squad's headquarters and created eight separate units).
Community leaders could also take on a very unglamorous, time-consuming, and painstaking mission: working with community residents to hold their local precincts accountable. As Eli Silverman, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice wrote in the Gotham Gazette last year, "Like most citizens who hold Congress in low esteem but highly value their own Representative, many New Yorkers...resent the [NYPD] but seek more contact with their own beat officer." If the NYPD wants to win back some trust, and residents want to gain some sense of control over how their neighborhood is policed, one place to start is in community meetings with the precinct commander.
Normally, the precinct meetings held regularly across the city are a charade between self-appointed community VIPs and precinct commanders who play good cop for the evening. But a strong, coordinated group can put legitimate issues on the table and give residents and officers a chance to interact with each other outside of traditional roles.
Admittedly, it takes a little wishful thinking to imagine that people all over the city could be mobilized to improve the performance of their local police precincts. But after the painful unfolding of events this past weekend, I think we're entitled to it.
Jerome Chou is a freelance writer. He works part-time interviewing recently released ex-offenders about their re-entry into society.


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State of the art
From Hybridgraphics
What computer manufacturers developed on Windows
The aim of using two graphic cards is mainly to provide a good compromise between a powerful card whose power in needed only when running demanding programs, and an integrated card, which would not be well suited for those usages. On Windows, the load between the discrete and the integrated card is automaticly balanced, when the right drivers are installed.
To be expanded / corrected
How to make it work under Linux
Graphics under Linux
At startup, the Linux kernel starts using a video mode and setting up low-level graphic drivers which will be used by the applications. Most of the Linux distributions then use X.org to create a graphical environment. Finally, a few other softwares are launched, first a login manager and then a window manager, and so on. This hierarchical system has been designed to be used in most of cases on a single graphic card.
To be filled
To be filled


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With the national elections just around the corner, you can join in the political fray
in a funny way with "America Furever," our eCard pick of the week. This talking eCard features a fun and "sparkly" pup who will deliver your personal message
for you in any one of several different voices (your choice, of course!) It can be
a birthday message…perhaps something like "The vote is unanimous, you should
have the best birthday ever!" or "Hope it's a banner year, you deserve it!" Or send
and share it with a friendship message instead…"The votes have been counted and
the results are official, you're an awesome friend!" Don't forget to add your recipient's name to your message to make it really special. The possibilities are endless and so is
the fun when you connect with family and friends in this unique and personal way.
BlueMountain.com has other talking eCards you'll love, too and also has a great variety
of Interactive eCards with games, puzzles and more…why not check us out today!


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vintage mid century modern bedroom furniture – At Avant-garde Digs, we accept the emphasis of a comfortable, admirable bedroom. Often times your bedchamber can be the endure ambush in a animated life, so we accept aggregate you charge to actualize a cozy, avant-garde bedchamber apartment absolute for a acceptable night's rest. Start with our alternative of abreast beds, again add a avant-garde chiffonier and abreast nightstands. We seek the apple for affordable avant-garde bedchamber furniture, and again accompany you the latest styles and designs at the everyman accessible prices. In fact, our Best Price Guarantee backs every account we sell.
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Tips To Creating Your Ideal Avant-garde Bedroom
A archetypal access to creating your absolute abreast bedchamber is to go minimalist. We're talking something abutting Italian modern: clean, simple. Picture white walls, arresting mod furniture, all absolute with ancestor of blush in your breadth rug and artwork!
To actualize the look, we acclaim starting out with our accumulating of avant-garde bed frames. Our a lot of accepted alternative is the Worth Bed, but your ambition is to acquisition a section that speaks to you personally! Whether you're aptitude appear something humble and simple, or even an environmentally acquainted bed like some of our bamboo frames, acquisition a bed with curve you love. When in doubt, we acclaim allotment something simple, like the Prince, Coco or Air Bed. Each of them boasts a air-conditioned avant-garde shape, and beautiful abstracts that accomplish a account in your room.
Then add nightstands. You can go "matchy-matchy," abnormally if the bed anatomy you adulation has analogous nightstands. Or, accede bond your bed with something to contrast. As a accepted rule, your best bet is to add allegory nightstands to an adipose bed creating a cool, audible combination. On the added hand, if the bed you adulation boasts a copse finish, award analogous nightstands is usually the best way to go.
Next, appraise how abundant accumulator you charge and what fits your space. In our ideal abreast bedroom, we've got an amazing applicant closet with congenital cabinets to abundance aggregate from shoes to skirts, and the bedchamber itself is apple-pie and open, abrogation the focus on the bed… maybe an emphasis chair! But let's get real! We're all bound in one way or the other, and our accumulating of dressers and chests will add the accumulator need, and still bout your style.
Finally, adds ancestor of blush with accessories: vases, rugs and artwork! If you go with chaste and avant-garde furniture, you can actualize a avant-garde and abreast bedchamber you'll love. And the best allotment is, bandy out a few of the accessories, maybe acrylic a bank or two, and you've got an absolutely new avant-garde bedroom!


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Here are some things to remember when checking-out of your residence hall room. You will need to make an appointment with your RHO to check-out.
To Do List for Check-Out:
The Housing Staff will be inspecting all rooms as part of your check-out appointment. Charges will be assessed if the room is not clean, if there are damages in the room and to the furniture in the room, or if it is missing. Charges will be assessed if the key for the room is not returned. Please help us out, and complete this check list before you leave. Room Lock change: $80, Mailbox change: $25, Improper Check Out: $50. Other damage costs as defined by Cal Maritime and its constituents.
If you wish to remain in your residence hall room after the halls officially close for,summer break, you can fill out the Late Stay Request Form. Late Stay Request Forms will be available late Spring semester.


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Confederation, Articles of
Confederation, Articles of, in U.S. history, ratified in 1781 and superseded by the Constitution of the United States in 1789. The imperative need for unity among the new states created by the American Revolution and the necessity of defining the relative powers of the Continental Congress and the individual states led Congress to entrust the drafting of a federal constitution to a committee headed by John Dickinson. In the Articles of Confederation submitted by the committee to the Second Continental Congress on July 12, 1776, three points provoked much argument—the apportionment of taxes according to population, the granting of one vote to each state, and the right of the federal government to dispose of public lands in the West. After several revisions were made, however, this constitution, comprising a preamble and 13 articles, was adopted by Congress on Nov. 15, 1777. In their final form, the Articles retained the vote by states, but based the apportionment of taxes on the value of buildings and land, and specified that no state should be deprived of territory for the benefit of the United States.
Sections in this article:
- Introduction
- The Articles
- Shortcomings
- Bibliography
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History


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Super stupid.
Marvel Nemesis is hard to resist. Billed as a third-person fighting game romp featuring a collection of Marvel superheroes, it tickles the nerd nerves. The intriguing box art alone (Iron Man and Venom standing right next to each other?!) is sure to jumpstart geek hearts from here to Krypton. Inarguably, it's an exciting proposition"
"but inarguably, it's a sucky game. Once you've taken Marvel Nemesis through its paces, you'll pierce its glinty armor with your newfound eye beams of license abuse and try to toss it into the local penitentiary for the rest of its unnatural born life.
This villain in hero's clothing lures you in with its awesome cast of characters. Classics like Spider-Man, Venom, Daredevil, Elektra, Iron Man, Human Torch and Dr. Doom join X-men universe characters like Storm, Wolverine and Magneto. While such big names carry a tank's worth of weight, the developers decided to add more to the mix by creating their own super people, the Imperfects, which are pretty much WWE wrestlers with real names.
They're also the premise for the game's anemic Story mode. Divided into A.D.D.-friendly vignettes, this mode tells the awful tale of how some mad doctor, who's actually an alien, screwed up experiments to create the perfect specimen of ass-kickery, thus spawning the six Imperfects. Your task is to slog through mundane button-mashing until your eyes bleed.
The game gives you the option of switching between superheroes at the end of any of their five or so mini-missions, which range from "kill these many things in X time" and "kill X in no time" to just "get through this part, period." You can continue to play as one character until all of his missions are complete, or you can swap out to another and run their missions for a bit.
Since the story doesn't tell you anything aside from "Bad Alien! Kill!" to begin with, it's hard to care about the random objectives or the characters aside from the fact that they're Marvel. After completing a mission, you'll encounter a cinema describing the origin of one of the new Imperfect characters, like a ballerina with cyborg legs who's hell bent on destroying the world for no good reason. Maybe she's mad at the irony of being a dancer with crappy legs, who knows. You'll then have to choose one of the good guys you were using to defeat this Imperfect, thus ending his vignette, potentially before his missions are finished. Rare are the times when a game lets you have less of it, but in cases of repetitive, boring gameplay such as this, it's a good thing.
The vignette approach had the potential to do some more interesting hero crossovers; instead it's used as a transparent distraction from gameplay mechanics that are lame and the same regardless of the superhero. All characters have a movement special, like Spidey's websling or Storm's flight, as well as an attack special to accompany a melee combo and a throw. You can also add super-powers to any attack; doing so depletes the power meter but increases your ability to "rage," which gives you unlimited super-powers for a bit. The attack special and rage activator share the same button, so you'll be raging a lot, whether you wanted to or not.
You'll barely need any of this in the single-player game. Lacking any targeting scheme, the game forces you to line up your hero with whatever you want to attack and mash away, hoping for the best. Most of the millions of robot drone enemies will start to counter or block your attacks mid-combo, as another one hurls an exploding barrel at you from off-screen. The difficulty ramps up quickly and doesn't change over time.
However, all enemies fall for the same tactic " the classic run-around-while-hurling-barrels-at-bad-A.I. gig. Running in circles and tossing projectiles at the fool in the middle works consistently whether you are surrounded by goons or are fighting any boss. Why do you need to do everything a spider can when there's flaming barrels to be chucked? Besides, thrown objects are far more effective than regular attacks. The disproportionate damage between getting cracked in the face by someone who can lift a truck and getting hit by a couch is retarded.
So after about an hour, you'll eject from Story mode and get into the other side of this two-faced evildoer, the Versus mode. Though it only supports two players at a time (no four-way madness here), a human is a lot more flexible than the static A.I. Story mode offers. The levels themselves are rife with debris, meaning there's tons of stuff to blow up and use as potential projectiles. You'll occasionally have to use your super powers to beat a cagey opponent, although combat here often boils down to the same projectile mania found in the single-player. You can catch projectiles and throw them back, but playing against anyone with decent timing can result in an intergalactic game of catch. The PS2 and Xbox versions can both be played online, but that just means you have more people to play catch with.
Much of the graphical effort went into rendering the heroes themselves, and they do look pretty good, with cool comes at the cost of the environments, which are routinely drab and muddy. The PS2 version has a much choppier framerate than the Xbox and Gamecube versions, though all three tend to chunk up a bit. The production values simply aren't there; in-engine scene transitions hiccup between one another and can make you motion sick if you're paying too much attention for too long, though the cinema scene quality itself is solid.
It fares little better in its audio. Sound effects are the typical bangs and clashes you'd expect from a comic book game. They're a fair share better than the repetitive superhero tunes that hail each hero the same way.
Being a comic connoisseur will only take you so far in enjoying Marvel Nemesis, and if you're a gamer, you'll be hard-pressed to see past the numerous flaws. You're better off spending your money on comics that actually increase in value over time or a cleaner beat "em up like Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks. This one's a Marvality.


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GayWheels and others reported yesterday Bank of America is denying car loans to Saab and Isuzu buyers. We called the company for a statement and they explained they're actually still loaning money for buying Saabs. However, there is a catch.
Julie Westermann of Bank of America told us:
We continue to finance discontinued models such as Saturns and Saabs, but expect borrowers to put more money down to account for the lower residual value of discontinued models.
That's right, the bank isn't stupid. BofA realizes the plummeting value of the brand makes the likelihood of recouping the investment on a repossessed Saab 9-5 even harder.
Unfortunately, the auto loan eligibility requirement page on the BoA site still indicates Saab owners are not to be loaned to, but the company insists this is just a mistake.
Even with the higher down payment requirement, we're sure the news of loan availability will come as a relief to the seven people still considering the purchase of a new Saab.


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Backstreet Boys Recall Their Biggest Milestones & Memories, Talk 'DNA'
By Nicole Mastrogiannis
February 8, 2019
Backstreet's back! Backstreet Boys have returned with their brand new album, DNA , and are preparing to hit the road on tour this summer.
DNA is BSB's first album in six years and follows the band's 2013 LP In a World Like This . The new album showcases twelve new songs, some co-written by artists including Shawn Mendes , Ryan Tedder , Lauv , Andy Grammer and more. And the guys are set to take their new music on the road during their biggest arena tour in 18 years, which kicks off in North America in July.
We recently caught up with Nick, Brian, AJ, Kevin and Howie before they performed during their exclusive iHeartRadio Album Release Party in New York City, and introduced them to "The Box." Inside were memories from throughout their amazing career and so much more. Find out what they had to say about each of them and read on below.
Singing the National Anthem at Super Bowl XXXV
Nick: "I'm gonna give you some some facts real quick. This was in Tampa Bay Stadium where I'm from in Tampa. We were singing the national anthem. It was my 21st birthday."
Kevin: "Giants vs Ravens. The Ravens' stomped the heck out of the Giants."
Black & Blue
Nick: "I'll give you a little fact on this album cover. We got in a big fight with the record label because at the time, they wanted us to have our faces on the album cover. We decided, no, we don't wanna be seen on the album cover."
New Kids On The Block/Backstreet Boys Joint Tour
AJ: "Who's missing from this photo?"
Kevin: "I might be missing from that photo."
Nick: "NKOTBSB minus Kevin. That was a lot of fun. It was a great tour with those guys. They're great friends of ours."
AJ: "We'd love to do it again."
Nick: "Maybe we'll do part two someday ... with Kevin."
Brian: "You know, I used to love these guys in high school. I never knew I would grow up and be one."
Back to the Beginning
AJ: "Dude, what was, was I rockin'? Nick, you're, like, three feet tall. And your jacket's three sizes too big."
Kevin: "We rented out a studio and we did a performance video. They filmed it and we used it to help try to get a record deal. That's what this whole backdrop was and everything."
AJ: "And it didn't work."
Brian: "It didn't work at that time.
Kevin: "We looked like a wanna be motorcycle gang back then."
Nick: "[I] have no idea what we were wearing."
AJ: "Everything was definitely unified."
Kevin: "This was the beginning, this is 1993. Almost 26 years ago."
Howie: "Where it all began."
Filming The "Larger Than Life" Music Video
AJ: "Robot Nick."
Howie: "This is on the set for 'Larger Than Life,' the video shoot. That, actually, I think we filmed [at Universal Studios]."
Nick: "Here's a fun fact. This was one of the most expensive videos we ever made. If I could go back in time, I don't think [we should have spent that much]. It was $2.2 million."
Kevin: "Stupid. Nobody makes videos for that."
AJ: "You can make a dope video for $200 right now."
Brian: "Yeah. All you need is an iPhone!"
Kevin: "The white outfits."
AJ: "This was probably, to date, our biggest album ever. We released it in 1999. And, yeah. It's a pretty great record."
Kevin: "And it's soon to be 20 years old."
Getting a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
AJ: "The Walk of Fame. It was our 20th anniversary."
Kevin: "Got a little emotional there on the sidewalk there in Hollywood."
AJ: Actually, Max Martin did a little speech for us and he was very nervous about that.
Kevin: "Came out and spoke for us."
Brian: "It was pretty cool."
Howie: "Big honor for us."
Kevin: "This is our 10th album and we're very proud of it. There are five of us and we all have various musical influences and tastes, and this album is a representation of that. There [are] different sonic sounds on here. You'll hear Nashville inspiration, you'll hear electronica, EDM, rock, pop, and hip-hop and R&B. And that kinda makes up our group DNA.
Brian: "And for those kids watching, there used to be a toy when we were little called the Slinky. And if you wanna ever take a picture and make it look cool, just shoot through a Slinky."


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Microbe Magazine
Cover Image
Cover: Although they have been around for a long time, the public health issues surrounding vaccines and their relative potential risks continue to spark contention and debate (see p. 395). (Photo © Sean Barley/iStockphoto.)
Microbe Magazine, Cover Image
Cover ImageVaccines are crucial for controlling the spread of influenza, but currently are only effective against a limited mix of strains. A universal vaccine remains elusive, but progress is being made (see p. 433). (Image © James King-Holmes/ Science Source.)
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On our trips we don't just take you to the destinations, we make sure you get under the skin of every place you visit. From amazing food & accommodation, to exclusive access to incredible experiences, with 8PMSaturday Travel you'll get unbeatable value & a completely unique travel experience.
Day 1: Paris
Meet up with your 8PMSaturday team before we hit the road, we will depart for the 'Paris by Night', where the French capital transforms into the "City of Lights". Lamp-lit bridges and cool little cafés give us a real taste of Paris' romance. Your trip manager will fill you in on the world's most recognized monuments, like the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower. If you're adventurous, get right into French culture and try out France's national delicacy – escargot! You'll also get to toast the start of your trip with French Champagne.
- Exclusive 'Paris by Night' sightseeing tour with Champagne & escargot
- See the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, the Champs-Élysées, and Notre Dame Cathedral
Day 2: Paris
This town is loaded with possibilities. Discover its many bistros, museums, tree-lined avenues and diverse quartiers.
Get a feel for French flair by window shopping on the Left Bank, step into the Notre Dame Cathedral or explore the endless galleries of the Louvre and get up close to the famous Mona Lisa. Try indulging in some delicious pastries and relax in one of Paris' many green spaces.
Tonight, treat yourself to a real Parisian night out, starting with an optional dinner in an atmospheric restaurant, where you can get to know your group. Then sign up for an authentic cabaret experience, complete with can-can girls and Champagne.
- Parisien Diner
- Lido show (extra 150euro)
Day 3: Paris to Beaujolais Wine Region
Southbound, we stop off at the massive 16th century Château Fontainebleau. Walk around the imperial gardens and check out the château's imposing, regal exterior.
We continue on through Burgundy's wine country to Beaujolais' green hills and vineyards.
Our team will make you feel right at home in this very own 16th century Château. There's a wine tasting within the Château's working winery, where our resident expert will teach you about Beaujolais wine as you swirl and sip on wines made in the area for centuries.
- Spécial Stop-over: French Château
- Wine tasting at Château
- See Château Fontainebleau
- See Chablis, Burgundy & Beaujolais vineyards
Day 4: Beaujolais Wine Region to French Riviera
Unwind on the coach, listen to your MP3 and take in the rustic beauty of Provence, known for its pretty landscapes of lavender, sunflowers and wild herbs.
A lunch stop in the Popes' fomer seat of power, Avignon, means a real taste of the Provencal lifestyle and look into the town's Roman heritage. Wander through the cobbled streets and learn about Avignon's past when you see the Papal Palace's impressive walls and the town's signature bridge.
Next stop is the French Riviera and home to the French perfume industry, where we visit Fragonard Perfumery. Learn about how perfume is made and some of its more surprising ingredients. It's also a chance to pick up a bottle or 2 at great prices.
Then it's back on the road to the rugged coast line of the stunning Côte d'Azur. Follow the beautiful sapphire waters past the movie-star glamour of Cannes (famous for its annual film festival), to Antibes.
- See the Papal Palace in Avignon
- Visit a French perfumery
- Scenic drive along the Côte d'Azur
Day 5: French Riviera
In your free time live a bit of the riviera lifestyle with a visit to one of the neighbouring towns like Cannes or Nice.
Try out the region's produce like lavender honey, aioli (garlic mayonnaise) and mouth-watering rosé wine. Window shop the chic boutiques or choose a beach and catch some sun among all the bronzed bodies!
Tonight get a taste of the high life in Monaco, the glamourous principality packed into just 1.92km2 and home to the Formula 1. Get the inside story on the royal family and their place of residence from your Trip Manager. Try your luck at a casino later on.
- See the Royal Palace in Monaco
- Rub shoulders with the rich & famous with a visit to a Monte Carlo casino
Day 6: French Riviera to Florence
Onwards to Italy, land of passion! Heading to Renaissance Florence, we stop by Pisa and get up close to the famous Leaning Tower.
The scene-stealing Duomo cathedral rises above Florence, which serves up frescoes, markets and priceless art. Tonight, there's a choice of a group dinner – an authentic Tuscan feast. Try regional dishes in the heart of Florence, then keep it moving with a night out!
- See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Tuscan Dinner
Day 7: Florence to Rome
Jump start the day uncovering this open-air museum. Our Local Guide gives you the inside track as the group learns about Florence's cultural beginnings and explores streets crammed with artworks from masters like Michelangelo. Then take a look into a skillful demonstration of Florentine leather making and understand this region's traditional art.
Later, travel through Tuscany's rustic hills, past the recognizable cypress tree landscapes of this olive oil-producing region, to vibrant Rome.
Stylish Rome oozes energy and overflows with relics from another age. Our special access coach tour gets you right into the thriving atmosphere of this living timeline as your Trip Manager shows you the Colosseum and Piazza Venezia. Continue on foot to check out the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. Honour tradition at the Trevi Fountain and throw a coin in the fountain's waters (it's meant to improve your chances of returning to Rome!) or maybe hang out with your new friends at the Spanish Steps, sit back with a few slices of pizza and people watch.
- Discover the Secrets of Michelangelo's Florence – see where his David was gifted to the Florentines, Ponte Vecchio, the Medici Palace & much more on our locally guided walking tour of Florence
- See the Duomo, Basilica Santa Croce, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry & Piazza della Signoria
- Learn about Florence's leather craft with a demonstration
- Special access Rome sightseeing coach tour
- See the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon & Piazza Navona
- See St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City
Day 8 : Rome
This morning, make the most of our Local Guide's inside knowledge with an optional guided tour of the Vatican Museums, including the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.
Take off into the city and absorb the atmosphere that are surrounded by fountains, pizzerias, cafés and bars. Before you hit the shops, let your Trip Manager point you in the right direction with some tips on the best buys.
In your free time, live the local lifestyle by indulging in a long lunch on a paved piazza or knock back a shot of espresso at the bar, like the Romans do.
- Vatican Tour
- Rome of the Emperors and Gladiators including the Colosseum
Day 9: Rome to Venice
Crisscross the Apennine Mountains, pass wildflower fields, quaint hilltop villages and Umbria's rolling valleys, to Venice.
Known as the "floating city" Venice is packed with character, crammed with hidden lanes and linked by a network of canals.
The group travels on our boat through the waters of the lagoon to visit the city's historical heart. The limestone Bridge of Sighs, the gothic arches of Doge's Palace and the expanse of St Mark's Square (pigeons and all!) show off Venice's unique beauty and way of life.
Take some time to explore the floating city and lose yourself in the backstreets. There's an optional walking tour where you can discover the labyrinth of interweaving lanes, waterways, palaces, piazzi and markets with our Local Guide. You'll see historic monuments, hidden treasures and the Rialto market - a local favourite for food shopping.
Maybe grab a table on St. Mark's Square and eat some delicious Italian food al fresco.
Cap off the day with an optional gondola ride & share this amazing experience with your friends - seeing Venice from on the water is unforgettable!
- Boat through the canals & islands of Venice
- See the Bridge of Sighs, the Doge's Palace & St. Mark's Square
- Gondola ride (extra 30euro)
Day 10 : Venice to Munich
Today, it's northbound to the home of the world-famous Oktoberfest, Munich - a city that blends traditional Bavarian culture and modern lifestyle.
Explore the heart of Munich's Old Town with the crew, and head to Marienplatz. It's a central gathering spot famous for the Glockenspiel - a Gothic clock, complete with 32 dancing figures and 43 chiming bells.
Later why not give an optional bike tour a go and get off the beaten track and onto Munich's side streets with our Local Guide.
- Scenic drive past vineyards, orchards & castles
- See the Glockenspiel & Marienplatz
- Mike's Bikes Tour (extra 40euro)
Day 11 : Munich to Rhine Valley
Leaving Munich behind, remember one of history's darkest moments with a sobering stop at the Dachau concentration camp memorial. Learn more at the museum and walk through the remaining living quarters.
The coach follows the Rhine River, weaving through valleys dotted with castles and vineyards.
Next stop - the pretty, old-world village of St. Goar, complete with fairy-tale castle and even a free-hanging cuckoo clock! Learn about local know-how and get savvy on the craft of beer steins.
Then kick back with a glass of local wine and choose to find out more with the optional wine tasting in a candlelit underground cellar.
- Visit the Dachau concentration camp memorial
- See the Lorelei Rock
- Learn how beer steins are crafted
- Wine tasting (extra 10 euro)
Day 12: Rhine Valley to Amsterdam
In an intro into Dutch culture, see how clogs are made and try some of the famous Dutch Edam at a cheese farm.
Cruise into the countryside and bike around like the laid back locals, past working windmills, to the world-famous cheese village of Edam.
Head into the buzzing capital of Amsterdam and check out the eye-opening Red Light District, where the creative and the wacky come together on narrow cobbled streets, 24/7.
- See canals & a windmill on a countryside bike tour in Edam
- Visit a cheese farm & clog maker's house
- See Amsterdam's canals & gable houses by night
Day 13: Amsterdam
There's free time to experience Amsterdam's coffee shops, museums and quirky, cool boutiques. Wander along the canals and pass gabled houses or experience Amsterdam's multi-ethnic cuisine. This cultural melting pot dishes up loads of affordable food.
With an optional evening canal cruise, there's a chance to toast your travels with the group, unwind with a few drinks and uncover Amsterdam at water level as you drift past the city lights.
For your last night on the trip, treat yourself to a feast at a rice table dinner with the group in a popular restaurant. With this fun way to eat, you'll be served loads of dishes from colonial times.
Get some pointers from your Trip Manager, dive into Amsterdam's night action with your friends and finish up your travels with a night to remember.
- Canal cruise (1 hour)
- Sea Palace Dinner
Day 14 : Depart Amsterdam
This morning after breakfast we transfer you to Schiphol Airport (estimated arrival 10:00am) where your trip ends.


text: The firmware update has two stages. You will see a progress bar for each stage. Please check the colour of the LINE / INSTR LEDs on the front panel. They should be green before the update. When the firmware update begins, the LEDs will turn to orange in the first stage. When the first progress bar completes, the LEDs should turn green again before the second stage. If they stay orange, please disconnect/reconnect the firewire cable (and the external power supply if in use) and wait until the LEDs turn green. They will stay green for no more than a few seconds, and then turn orange again for the second stage of the firmware update. Once the second stage progress bar completes, the LEDs will turn green again and stay green. At this point the firmware update should be complete.


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Vincent Palumbo salon Website Reviews
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You can not record a song in this Beta version.
Please wait until the recording function is developed.
Log in
When you record a song online on the TBM3, a MIDI file is created automatically. It is updated at each modification in the song. To download it, click on 'MIDI' in the details of the song (visible when listening to it via RECORDINGS).
What are the MIDI files ?
MIDI files are very small musical files (most of those generated by the TBM does not exceed 20 KB). You can read it on a lot of supports : computer, telephone, synthetizer ...
But you'll tell me that the sound is completely rotten ...... it's normal !
MIDI format contains only the height and duration of notes. And it's your PC (or phone etc ...) who will read it with its own sounds (or rather the sounds of the soundcard). The sound quality is very variable depending on the support. Personally, I enjoy listening to my phone
But what's the use?
MIDI is a standard format compatible with many music software. Then, you can then import your song created on the TBM in Fruity Loops:
After, you can change the sounds or any kind of change.
You can also open MIDI files in a score software like MuseScore and see your composition in classical notation.
The author
Anthony Bouchereau (Tony-b) created the Tony-b Machine and the site tony-b.org in 2007. He continues to develop the site and three new machines over the years. Today web developer and musician in Umanis in the Quatuor Megamix he still devotes part of his time to develop the site.
Give a boost
Tony-b Machine 1.0 (november 2006)
contact [at] tony-b.org
Online SAS


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I am a new dealer.
Sarreid Ltd dealer web site is exclusively for companies that have accounts with Sarreid Ltd. If you are currently a Sarreid dealer, we invite you to click on the button below to apply for access to your personal dealer web site. If you are not yet a Sarreid dealer, but would like to join our family of quality retailers and interior designers, please contact Sarreid's customer service department.


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THE most famous thing about TFS Corporation is the presence of cricket legend Adam Gilchrist on the board. Gilchrist and fellow directors in this West Australian sandalwood company face a challenge, as if the thumping protest votes at the annual meeting last month were not enough.
Now, they are in possession of their third requisition from rebel shareholders, who are trying to roll the board and may call the next shareholder meeting as early as January.
The concern is that TFS management has been trying to privatise the company on the cheap – in league with some New York private equiteers – and they have to move as soon as possible.
There is no suggestion that the board is in breach of its directors' duties. Directors may be carrying out their duties to the letter. This is about perception. The close ties don't enhance investor confidence.
At the heart of the dispute is mateship, a little too much mateship around the board table.
Executive chairman Frank Wilson says the board is independent. And on a purely technical appraisal of the ASX corporate governance rules, he may be correct.
In a real sense, though, TFS is the classic case of a company
whose share price is laid low by things that could have been avoided if there were a truly independent board. Trust in the board and management is low, and the TFS stock price is shot.
This is a company that stands at the verge of harvesting one of the most precious woods on earth from its 1350 hectares of sandalwood plantations under management in the Ord Valley. The wood can fetch $100,000 a tonne.
Despite the promise of annuity-style revenues so near, there were 12 changes to the board in 10 months last financial year. Among them were the little-explained departures of the respected Jim Craig and former Howard minister Richard Alston.
The latest requisition of meeting from the rebels aims to roll Mr Wilson, Mr Gilchrist, Julius Matthys and Steve Atkinson – every director except Ron Eacott.
Independence is the sticking point.
Mr Wilson attended university with Mr Matthys and Mr Atkinson. Nothing wrong with that, though the ties are far closer. Mr Matthys was best man at Mr Wilson's wedding. Mr Atkinson and Mr Wilson are former business partners, and Mr Atkinson was Mr Gilchrist's manager and a close friend. Nothing wrong with that either, in pure governance terms. But marry the clear and close mateships with opaque management and a bombed-out share price and you have a problem of perception.
Where things do veer close to the line is in Mr Gilchrist receiving a $220,000 package in 2011 and 2012 for being an "ambassador" to TFS, and then bobbing up on the board. Though the ambassador arrangement is said to have ended.
Institutions and investors disenchanted with the performance over the past two years led a revolt against the board at the annual meeting. That saw a 26 per cent vote against the re-election of Mr Wilson, 33.5 per cent against Mr Atkinson and 24.3 per cent against Mr Matthys. Mr Gilchrist was not up for re-election.
Mr Wilson preferred a "glass-half-full" assessment by arguing that a substantial majority vote in favour of the incumbents amounted to a robust endorsement.
One quarter of your shareholders calling for your head is hardly an endorsement though. And it was the questions Mr Wilson did not answer directly at the AGM that hold the key to the unfolding drama. He had batted off criticism of TFS by saying it was the "sole survivor of the management investment scheme [MIS] industry". Leaving to one side the fact that TFS is not the "sole survivor", the failure of so many MIS companies such as Gunns, Timbercorp, Great Southern, Rewards Group and Willmott Forests is considered to be a result of structural debt issues as much as flawed business models.
And TFS now has debt that is about 150 per cent of its market capitalisation. Most of this was racked up via a $150 million bond issue in the US that delivered an 11 per cent yield and security over the company's assets.
Prior to this debt issue in May last year, TFS had advised the market it was considering a $75 million debt facility, but this doubled without any adequate explanation. In March 2009, the company forecast "no net debt by June 30, 2009". Actual net debt was $26.7 million. In February 2010, it forecast "significant positive operating cash flow and no net debt for end of financial year".
In fact, operating cash flow was negative $25 million and net debt rose to $47 million at June 30, 2010.
By February 2011, management forecast "net operating cash flow to rise 23 per cent" for $70 million in operating cash flow on a full-year basis. It missed by $30 million. In August 2012, TFS conceded a cash flow deficit of $60.5 million. Dividend was cancelled and there were no new institutional sales.
According to information provided to BusinessDay, TFS had been examining proposals to take the company private since 2010. Sources claim the structure of the proposed deal was for management to participate in the deal.
After the bond issue last year, the share price began to bleed. The debt was costly, attracting commissions of $8 million plus.
The rebels claim management has focused on a private equity deal and not on plantation sales to bring in the cash. As rumours swirled, Mr Wilson disclosed in May this year to one shareholder that a private equity takeover offer had been made. The only formal announcement of any bid came later, in August.
The small print in the bond issue says that if a takeover of TFS were to occur, the bidder, once reaching 51 per cent of the issued capital, is obliged to ask the chief executive and chairman to join the bidding syndicate. It is understood the bid was made by the New York private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg.
In light of the private equity negotiations, having such close ties on the board is a liability for TFS as it heads into another showdown next month.
The original release of this article first appeared on the website of Hangzhou Night Net.


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I'm designing a laser to shine a dot at a breath-taking 68 kilometers over a frozen lake in Hungary.
I have experience working with 445nm diodes, my current working laser uses an m140 diode, but I am hoping to engineer a more powerful laser using either singular nubm44's or multiple nubm44's using knife edge array configuration.
I have noticed that almost all blue solid state laser diodes suffer from fast axis dispersion, which at 68 km would likely be hundreds or thousands of meters wide, which is no good for the task at hand.
Here is a photo of my current laser:
Here's a video of the problem:
I have come across a special type of lens known as the FAC08-600
I've been told that FAC lenses have not been used to date to correct the fast axis of neither the nubm44 nor the m140 laser diodes.
I can already squish the beam into this rectangle using the G2 lens, however I feel the FAC lens might be able to squish the fast axis into a tiny square or a "dot" suitable for long range work. To my knowledge there is not an adapter for this, so I begun work on a custom, adjustable housing for a FAC lens to a laser pointer. My intention is to use grub screws to correct vertical alignment and a pair of worm-wheel/worm-gear combinations for micrometer adjustments to the lens plate.
The design is still a work in progress, I was looking for cheaper sources of brass wormwheel gears, but I feel there may be chatter/rattle. I figured this is most likely the best way to align the lens to within micrometers or precision. I have begun work on the roll design for the lens, no work done to the pitch, do you guys think I should do a yaw also?
The plan is to machine the DTR laser shop copper 32mm housing so that the entire assembly can screw-thread onto the laser module housing and can use this to adjust distance from the FAC lens to the G2 lens. meanwhile using the grub screw to align the FAC lens vertically and the pair, possibly trio of wormwheels for roll, pitch and possibly also yaw of the lens.
Should a single nubm44 laser diode be of insufficient power I am considering using 4 of them in a knife edge array also into the same design.
The holders of the lens are also designed to dissipate heat.
If you guys think this has a chance in hell of achieving what I think it will please say so.
I know this design looks and sounds crazy so I'm all ears to your input.
Thank you in advance.